Culture

Today largely forgotten, Emil Fafek was a leading Czech news photographer for decades, covering everything from the Prague Uprising as a young man to his beloved sport. A new exhibition in Prague entitled Emil Fafek: On Guard aims to rekindle...

The number of children and adolescents suffering from depression and those self-harming has increased steeply in the last few years, which many experts ascribe to the period of social isolation during the Covid pandemic. Alarmingly, the society...

The annual Literature Night (Noc literatury), which has become the largest European literature project of its kind in Czechia since it was introduced to the country 16 years ago, is taking place across 80 venues in the country’s capital and...

Trams ran up and down Prague’s Wenceslas Square in the past and are set to do so again. This plan has now taken another step forward, with the city’s transport authority issuing a public tender to build the necessary lines, Novinky.cz reported...

Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday, is fondly remembered by many Czechs. Not least thanks to her visit to the country in March 1996, when she met with the then president Václav Havel and chatted with locals on Charles Bridge. One...

The Slovak Ambassador to Czech Republic, H.E. Rastislav Káčer has been appointed as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia. We wish him all the best in his new role! You can read more about this in a post published by Mr. Káčer (in...

A new book called „Youth Without Family to Lean On“ edited by Moshe Israelashvili and Shula Mozes will be published by Routledge on September 20, 2022. The book is in English, and attempts to give a comprehensive description of interventions in...

A new monument, called The Return of the Stones, has been unveiled at the Old Jewish cemetery in Prague’s district of Žižkov. It is made out of fragments of tombstones from derelict Jewish cemeteries that were cut up into cobblestones during...

Hana Zagorová, one of the country’s most popular singers and a nine-time winner of the Golden Nightingale award died last week at the age of 75. In today’s edition of Sunday Music show we mark her long and successful career, during which she...

Prague’s graffiti-covered John Lennon Wall was a symbol of freedom in the final decade of communism. Now it has been repainted by artists from all around Europe in a project that is part of the Czech presidency of the EU. Over two dozen artists...

Devastating floods have hit Pakistan, submerging 1/3rd of the country underwater that’s roughly the land mass of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called this a “climate catastrophe“...

Archaeologists in Prague are currently uncovering a monumental building from the Stone Age. The so-called roundel, built around 7,000 years ago, is located in the district of Vinoř on the outskirts of the city. Experts are hoping that the...

From Monday 26th September to Saturday 1st October, audiences can enjoy six days of international, multi award-winning, theatre in English, presented by 28 theatre companies from all over the world. 

A team of experts from the Centre of Experimental Archaeology in North Bohemia is constructing a copy of a real Neolithic boat. The vessel will then be used to test out a hypothetical sea trading route from that era between Greece and modern...

Prague’s Signal festival of light art will celebrate 10 years of existence from October 13 to 16, again drawing tens of thousands of people to the city’s streets. Among the highlights this year will be a work referencing Ukraine by top Czech...

Pork crackling spread, or škvarková pomazánka, is a side dish you are sure to find in nearly every Czech pub. The spread, made of ground pork cracklings, lard and finely chopped onion, is usually served on a slice of bread. While not exactly a...

Jewish athlete Kurt Epstein played on the Czechoslovak water polo team and represented the country at two Olympic Games, including the 1936 “Nazi Olympics” in Berlin. Epstein is the subject of a new exhibition set to open at the Terezín Ghetto...

Several streets in Prague’s new district of Smíchov City, which is currently under construction, are to be named after women who contributed to freedom, democracy and the fight against totalitarianism. The main pedestrian boulevard that will...

Two works of art have just been unveiled as part of the event Tribute to the Baroque Period (Pocta baroku), marking 300 years of the consecration of the pilgrimage church of St. John of Nepomuk on the mountain Zelená hora by Žďár nad Sázavou in...

Being raised in a Czech family, I inevitably came across many “Italian” dishes, Spaghetti alla carbonara with cream being a good representative of their style.

The premiere of the Slovak-Czech co-production feature film by director Zuzana Marianková and producer Wanda Adamík Hrycová took place at Cinema City, Slovanský dům, a few weeks ago.

It is hard to dispute the fact that traditional Czech cuisine is very carnivorous. With the exception of desserts, most Czech food classics are meaty, filling dishes, such as vepřoknedlozelo (dumplings with sauerkraut and pork), svíčková...

Due to the interconnected nature of the contemporary world, it is not realistic for Czechia to pursue food self-sufficiency, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in his Thursday speech at the opening of the countries annual agricultural fair Země...

Czechia and Ukraine are preparing an agreement on joint cooperation in the realm of education which should be signed this autumn, Czechia’s Education Minister Vladimír Balaš said on Thursday during his visit to Ukraine. The agreement should...

Tatarský biftek or tatarák, is the Czech version of steak tartare, a dish made of fresh, minced raw beef seasoned with salt, pepper and other ingredients. Although tatarák is not strictly a Czech meal, it enjoys huge popularity in Czechia and...

Les Královstí or Forest Kingdom reservoir was built on the Elbe River in 1920, taking its name from an old border forest that runs along its left bank. Due to its unique architectural design, it has become a popular tourist destination. The...

Prague was the most badly affected of all the Czech cities hit by the large-scale natural disaster. Several neighbourhoods were flooded and metro stations, monuments and a part of the zoo all ended up underwater. It rained for days and the...

The Czech Ministry of Education has recently sparked a debate with a proposal to make the learning of a second language in Czech primary schools voluntary rather than compulsory as it is at present. While many teachers have welcomed the idea, a...

The world’s deepest freshwater cave, the Hranice Abyss in Moravia, is even deeper than previously thought. A team of researchers have recently carried out a new survey of the deep limestone cave, using a special underwater robot, reaching a...

The medieval castle, extended in the 16th century to become a Renaissance chateau, is situated on a basalt rock above the River Smědá. It is one of the largest architectural compounds in Czechia.

For the first time, two unique documents about the events surrounding the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in May 1942 can be seen at the National Museum in Prague. They have been on display since Thursday as part of the special exhibition...

The European Space Agency has released images capturing the recent temperature extremes in a number of European cities, including Prague. The photos, taken from the International Space Station, has revealed heat islands in the densely populated...

Julia Sherwood, an award-winning translator and literary organiser, was born in Bratislava, but spent most of her life in the UK, where she settled after emigrating from Czechoslovakia in 1978. Today, she lives in London with her husband...

A new multimedia exhibition has opened up this week at the Riding School of Prague Castle. Covering over 2,000 square metres of space, Alphonse Mucha eMotion combines digitised and 3D animated versions of Czech Art Nuveau master Alfons Mucha’s...

The Český Fousek or Bohemian Wire-Haired Pointing Griffon was originally bred in the Czech Republic as a hunting dog. It is wirehaired and has the appearance of having a beard and mustache. A versatile pointer, Český Fousek has the qualities...

Previously unknown diaries written by a Lidice woman have been recently discovered by her relatives. Emílie Rohlová, one of the survivors of the Lidice massacre of 1942, started writing them after the war, when she returned from a concentration...

Exactly eight decades ago, on June 10, 1942, the Central Bohemian village of Lidice was annihilated by Nazi forces in retaliation for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. About 340 men, women and children were murdered, the village flattened...

The Bohemian Shepherd Dog, along with the Prague Ratter, is one of the oldest Czech dog breeds. It was originally used as a guard dog and a herding dog. Today it is mainly kept as a family pet, due to its friendly and gentle nature. Ruth...

A 9801 kg bell was cast in Austria on Friday to commemorate the 9,801 church and tower bells stolen from Czech territory and melted down for munitions during the Nazi occupation of WWII. The cost is being covered by a fundraising collection...

Vrgineers donates one of their Portable Trainer, a reconfigurable virtual pilot trainer, to the Ukraine Airforce to help with securing their airspace and train tactics with mission rehearsal. Based on the results from experimental research on...

Czech microbreweries organized a charity beer festival Drink for Ukraine, which raised more than 670 thousand crowns for Ukraine.

The approaching summer is a symbol of the holidays, yet many of us stay in the cities, and a rich cultural program is prepared for them. So before you pack your suitcase and fly off to explore Jerusalem, have fun in Tel Aviv or swim in the Dead...

The Jewish Community in Prague is launching a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for a memorial monument made of tombstones that were carved up and used for the pavement of Prague’s Wenceslas Square during the communist regime. The...

The Ministry of Culture is looking into a complaint regarding the 2018 reconstruction of Prague’s famous astronomical clock. Specifically the complaint targets the copy of the original calendar on the Old Town Clock by Josef Mánes. According to...

IN THE RHYTHM OF PASSION 8./9. 6. 2022 – 19:30 Municipal House, Smetana Hall BÉLA BARTÓK Romanian Folk Dances PABLO DE SARASATE Carmen Fantasy Op. 25, Gypsy Airs Op. 20 ZOLTÁN KODÁLY Dances of Galánta MAURICE RAVEL Bolero Pavel ŠPORCL |...

The Czech state began to form around the 9th century AD. This process was crucially influenced by the Přemyslids, Bohemia’s ruling dynasty which had control over Czech territory for more than 400 years. But what do we actually know about this...

The Assasination (Atentát) is a unique 1964 depiction of the killing of acting Reichsprotector Reinhard Heydrich by Czechoslovak parachutists during World War II. It has been newly digitised by the Czech National Film Archive (NFA) and is being...

I have the honor to represent Georgia in the Czech Republic - one of the strongest allies of my country. Georgia and the Czech Republic enjoy special relations. The Czech Republic’s steadfast support of Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic...

ARABFEST will take place from 18 to 28 May in Pilsen and from 8 to 12 June in Prague, offering films, theatre, educational lectures and tastings of Arabic cuisine.

As Kevin Loo enters life as a family man, he reflects on the family trees in his life and how our roots play an important part of who we are and where we go.

Greece received another important distinction for the video of GNTO’s winter advertising campaign “Greece Does Have a Winter”. It was honored with the Silver Award at the 4th International Tourism Film Festival Africa, in the...

The UN General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly for the Czech Republic to replace Russia on the Human Rights Council, the United Nations’ leading human rights body. The Czech Republic’s term starts immediately with the council due to meet for...

Discover Israel through its culture, food and fun. Experience Israel on the Vltava River! The first Israel on the river will take place on May 14 and 15 at the Strelecky island. Enjoy authentic Israeli cuisine or hire a blanket and picnic by...

Bohéma is the name of a new Prague shop selling T-shirts and other items featuring classic Czech images, from Sokol gymnasts to writer Karel Čapek. The company, previously online only, has opened the outlet in a building associated with major...

As part of a number of educational reforms, the government has proposed making the learning of a second foreign language in Czech primary schools voluntary for students rather than compulsory as it is at present, sparking criticism, controversy...

The night of April 30th, halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, is associated with warding off evil spirits. In the Czech Republic, the occasion is traditionally observed by lighting a bonfire on a hill and burning an...

The Russian invasion of Ukraine poses some challenges for students of International Law and Diplomacy in terms of what they have were taught and what they have come to expect of the discipline. Since World War II, there has been no major wars...

Czech Radio has launched a new fundraising project which aims to provide musical instruments to children of Ukrainian refugees but also to Czech children whose parents don’t have the means to buy them. The project, called If a Thousand...

Meda Mládková was an incredible woman and a strong personality. We have had the pleasure of interviewing her for our magazine back in 2019.

Yom HaShoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day of commemoration for the approximately six million Jews who perished during the Second World War, was marked around the Czech Republic on Thursday.

Almost everyone has heard of the Great Egyptian Pyramids of Giza, the oldest-known of which was built around 2600 BC; most people in the West have heard of England’s Stonehenge, believed to have been constructed somewhere between 3000 BC to...

The Žďák Bridge, which spans the banks of the Vltava River, was completed in 1967. At the time it was the largest single-arch steel bridge in the world. The Žďák Bridge spans the banks of the Vltava near Staré Sedlo on the left bank and...

Radio Prague International celebrated its 85th birthday on Thursday! We would like to thank all our listeners, readers and folowers for staying with us. As a little present, here is a tour of where we work – the Czech Radio Building on...

The NCCC Traders by Nature connect people to make beautiful things happen. When people connect, the positive will win from the negative without a doubt. Creating positive sustainable impact is powered by people that work together and share...

A newly published opinion poll on Czech society’s response to Russia’s war on Ukraine suggests that support for NATO is at its highest level for almost three decades – while only 9 percent of respondents now feel there is no threat of armed...

Czech children’s writer Petr Březina has launched a unique undertaking to help Ukrainian child refugees feel at home in the Czech Republic. He has put together a bilingual book of children’s fairy tales, illustrated by Czech children, which...

The Great Synagogue in Pilsen, has opened its door to the public after a three-year renovation. The monumental building, which is the second biggest synagogue in Europe and one of the five biggest in the world, opened last Sunday, just a few...

Taking in over 300,000 war refugees in the space of several weeks is an unprecedented challenge for the Czech Republic logistics-wise and in terms of psychological support. A team of experts from the Israel Trauma Coalition, which trains...

Dozens of new books on contemporary Japan have been gifted to the General Library of the Oriental Institute of the CAS. The books were donated by the Nippon Foundation and presented by His Excellency Hideo Suzuki, the Ambassador of Japan to the...

There is a wide range of events happening across the Czech Republic during the upcoming Easter period. Here is a rundown of some of the most exciting ones.

Hurvínek, one of the Czech Republic’s most popular puppet characters, is heading into space. He will be carried to the outer edge of the stratosphere on board of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Hurvínek is the second children’s character to fly...

With its rugged terrain, cave complexes and iconic Karlštejn castle, the protected landscape area of the Bohemian Karst is one of the most visited sites in Czechia. The Protected Landscape Area of the Bohemian Karst spans 130 square kilometres...

A new exhibition focusing on Slovene architect Jože Plečnik has opened at Prague Castle, the Czech capital’s iconic landmark that Plečnik himself had a big role in reconstructing. The exhibit, located both within the Old Palace building and the...

The owner of Czech internet giant Seznam.cz, Ivo Lukačovič, says he will send CZK 100 million of his own money to help Ukraine. Mr. Lukačovič wrote on Twitter on Monday that he could not get footage following a Russian massacre in the Ukrainian...

The Czech Association of Breweries and Malt Houses (ČSPS) is aiming to get Czech beer culture added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list. The authors of the application are optimistic about their chances, but warn that it will take at...

Czech animated films have enjoyed international popularity and acclaim that far outstrips what you might expect from a small country of 10 million people. A current Prague exhibition aims to show the public that Czech animation is still alive...

April is in the name of dance. The National Theater will premiere a dance performance BPM, which was created in cooperation with Israeli and Czech choreographers and dancers. And one performance is not enough, so go to Trutnov to see another...

Many in the Czech Republic have been welcoming Ukrainian refugees into their homes. One of the most high-profile Prague residents to do so is the ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Martina Mlinarević, whose family have taken in two Ukrainian...

The Dresden Barracks, one of the largest buildings in the former Terezín ghetto, are currently in a desolate state. Experts say that the complex needs to be repaired quickly if it is to survive. However, the necessary funds may be harder to...

Czechs have always had a complicated relationship with Russians. At some points in history, they saw them as their Slavic brothers who could help them gain independence and freedom.

Anna Honzáková was the very first Czech female doctor and gynaecologist, as well as being a women’s rights activist and opponent of abortion. She treated women both rich and poor, providing treatment free of charge to those who couldn’t afford...

Czech Radio is hosting a benefit concert in support of Ukraine in Prague’s Rudolfinum Concert Hall on Monday evening. The concert, featuring the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, will combine music by Ukrainian and Czech composers. The proceeds...